How did the chef get chicken so tender?

Question

I went to Italian Restaurant and had Chicken breast with mushroom sauce and I have never had such tender chicken breasts (they are usually dry). I did ask but they said it was chef's secret. Any ideas?

If poached then how do I do that?

Answer 1

This is a very tender chicken recipe and it's full of flavor and taste.

Italian Chicken with Mushroom-and-Wine Sauce

6 large chicken breast halves with skin and bones ( You can use boneless and skinless if you prefer)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 cups chopped onions
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup dry white wine ( can be omitted) for 1 cup of water or chicken broth)
1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
3 gloves garlic finely crushed or 1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1.42-ounce package spaghetti sauce seasoning mix

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 chicken breasts, skin side down; sauté until skin is brown, about 3 minutes.
Transfer chicken, skin side up, to 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic,onions and bell pepper. Sauté until vegetables are tender and mushrooms begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add wine; boil 2 minutes. Add broth and seasoning mix and bring to boil. Pour sauce over chicken.

Cover dish with foil. Bake chicken 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens, about 10 minutes longer.

Answer 2

If you want to poach it I would try this. Cut up some of your favorite vegtables, including mushrooms since you are trying to to replicate that sauce. Add all of the vegetables and chicken breast with the skin to boiling chicken broth, lower to a simmer (don't let it boil). Cook uncovered for an hour. Take out the chicken, and then boil down the broth into a gravy. You can thicken it more if you want by taking some hot broth and mixing it in with a thickening agent like flour and butter, then wisk that mixture back into the broth. If you don't want the veggies in the final, then put it in a bouquet garni (wrap it in cheesecloth, add to mixture and remove when done, but squeeze out the juices). I would try hitting the entire concoction with some lemon zest just before serving. Another idea would be to sear the chicken before adding to the stock to get some color onto the meat, particularly the skin side.

Answer 3

poached in chicken stock - low and slow
Chicken breasts are really easy to poach. They should be deboned and skinless, known as "supremes," so cooking will be relatively quick. Place the breasts in a buttered or oiled buffet casserole or baking dish plump side up. Use a high quality chicken stock, such as made from our Glace de Poulet Gold, or water. If the stock is unsalted, grind some sea salt and pepper over them, squeeze on a little lemon juice. Add just enough chicken stock to cover the breasts completely. Bring to a slow simmer on the stove. Cook for 5 to 10 more minutes. Remove the chicken breasts and keep warm. Boil the liquid to concentrate its flavors. Then add mushrooms, thicken the stock with butter and flour. You can also stir in some hot heavy cream. Then adjust the salt and pepper to your taste. Spoon over the breasts.

Answer 4

All you need is use marinades to tenderize meat.

The amount of time needed for tenderizing depends on the type of meat and the size of the cut," said Walsten, who works with K-State Research and Extension's Family Nutrition Program. "It can take anywhere from two hours for chicken -- which is naturally tender -- to up to eight hours for pork or beef. But, pork or beef that's been sliced into thin strips, so the marinade can cover and coat more surfaces, will require less time for the marinade to work."

Marinate meat in a glass or stainless steel container, covered with plastic wrap. The marinade's acid content will react with aluminum or copper and cause both the metal and the meat to darken.
Or, marinate meat in a zip-type food bag. Remove the meat when it is time to cook and discard the leftover liquid with the bag

Use about 1/4 cup of marinade per pound of meat. For example, for 2 pounds of beef or chicken strips, use 1/2 cup of marinade.

Make extra marinade and set it aside if you want some of the mixture for basting.

Your timing will be okay for almost any meat if you mix up the marinade before you leave for school or work; put the meat in the marinade; and place the combination, covered, in the refrigerator. The meat should be ready to cook when you come home that evening.

Don't leave meat in marinade too long. It can become mushy.

Never allow marinating meat to sit out at room temperature -- even for a short period of time.

Discard all marinade that has touched raw meat. Do not use it in cooking.

Answer 5

I hate dry chicken breasts,for years it was my least favorite cut of chicken. but health issues forced me to include it in my diet. so by trial and error I have learned how to cook them in a manner that does not dry them out.also i find that frozen breasts tend to be more tender than fresh.Why? I dont know.
perhaps it,s the brand i use and not the freezer part.

If it is a large breast half or it s very fat on one end and skinny on the other i split it.cutting almost through and opening it up to lie flat and even. then rubbing it with a little olive oil I season it .lemon pepper works nice but whatever you like.
using a non stick pan ,I put a small amount of olive oil and heat ,put the breasts into it and brown quickly on one side,turn them over - add my poaching liquid and turn down the heat.cover and simmer slowly.I remove them while still a little pink in the thickest part cause they continue to cook.
slice on the bias and spoon liquid over them.serve
( poaching liquid)
this can be whatever you prefer
I like chicken stock with a bit of white wine, pinch of taragon
.salted water with crushed garlic cloves works good too.
ive even used some of the bottled marinades from the store,just water them down a bit.
but you should experiment.find what works for you.
peace><>

Answer 6

Cook it with olive oil for moistness but adds flavor too. When I broil chicken breasts whole, I pour on olive oil, then coat with paprika, lemon juice, garlic powder, Accent [because I don't use salt, and MSG is what they use in Chinese restaurants, where I also tell them to, instead of salt lol] or I'f i feel ambitions, I cut slivers/slices of fresh garlic and that's even better than the powder spread over the top of the skin and also add Dill on top, just sprinkle on top or use fresh sprinkled on top. But the oil keeps it moist & tender. If doing in a pan or pot, do the same thing, but watch the timing. That's the most important thing.... overcooking is what makes white meat dry. I LOVE to use sesame oil too but not necessary [a little goes a long way] Oh... if broiling, put in broiler defrosted, and cook only 20 minutes just skin up, i never bother turning. You won't BELIEVE the flavor when that skin is browned and the seasonings do permeate the chicken. When broiling you don't have to stand over it so I prefer it. I set for 20 minutes, leave kitchen and voila...... DONE! Put your vegies in same broiling dish so they pick up all the flavor.... play with your timing because all broilers are different. I think mine is set to 450, i never change it, it's a small countertop broiler/oven... .. The oil mixed with all the seasonings AND the chicken drippings poured over the chichen afterwards [or baste if you want] is to die for...... or of course make your own sauce but this is better than any sauce, it's from the chicken. Sometimes I use whole thighs, 4 at a time [they're smaller] but of course there's no problem of that getting dry, so the oil isn't neccessary... there's more fat. I eat low carb, low sugar so the fat isn't dangerous. But for you white meat is healthier and olive oil should be eaten every day for health. You can also pour orange juice on it while cooking.... chicken a l'orange lol I usually add sweet & low to that for a sweet/sour effect. This got me hungry but it's 3 AM, and too tired to cook. Come to think of it, I forgot if it's set to oven or broil, but try both there's not that much difference, just look every once in a while to make sure it doesn't burn in case it's on 'broil'.

Answer 7

Good quality of the chicken! And on top: very short but quick frying (the meat must have room-temperature) and then let it "relax" in the oven by a max. 80 degrees till the rest is done!

Answer 8

i don't know but boiling chicken meat in vinegar and soy sauce in a coverd pan will make the meat tender.

Answer 9

Vietnamese children